Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
12-20-2019, 09:28 PM   #1
Pentaxian




Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,306
Lens hood question

Hi there,

There are some lenses especially short prime and zoom (18-50 RE) came with kind of 'flat' lens hood without protruded "flower shape" element is quite common these days, I wonder if there is any disadvantages using it I can't think or any. I insisted to use lens hood mostly metal to protect my lenses, not simply from stray light but also protect the lens when bumping around in crowded places, the hood also prevent my hand from touching the glass to smudging it like our phone camera. I put hood on the lens all the time instead of using the cap to protect it, and a flat lens hood can greatly reduce the length of the lens to take up less space in our bag when in "ready to shoot" mode. It is hard to custom made a precise rectangular flat lens hood, but we could DIY one with round opening even with built in cover, I wonder why no such product or I just missed or it won't work ?









12-20-2019, 09:37 PM   #2
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
sergysergy's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2011
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 5,155
probably certain lenses would show vignetting
12-20-2019, 09:45 PM   #3
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
BigDave's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 2,626
You could use a step up ring and a common square lens hood for a linger lens for your purpose. You would need to experiment with how much of a step up you would need to avoid the vignetting.
12-20-2019, 10:50 PM   #4
Senior Member




Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 232
I wonder how effective that 18-50 RE hood is? It looks too short to provide much shading or protection, but I guess it's better than not having one.

12-21-2019, 07:27 AM - 1 Like   #5
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Madaboutpix's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: North Rhine-Westphalia
Posts: 1,427
Well, one of the major design goals and selling points of the DA18-50 RE is compactness, and so it's only consistent that they adopted a flat hood design similar to the one they used with the DA21 Ltd. prime. (Incidentally, I don't recall reading many user complaints about the DA21 hood.) Given its rectangular opening, it is likely more effective optically than you're suggesting, and while it may offer little protection against physical damage, I see no other major reason to not embrace it.

That said, if you don't like the flat original hood, you could try one of the more generic screw-in rubber or metal hoods from third-party manufacturers like B + W, with which you might get away without vignetting. I have been using lens hoods from day one in my photography, and I do care about them being effectively designed, but I couldn't be bothered with trying to come up with some DIY design, which I suspect wouldn't be as convenient as a dedicated or generic hood in the field.
12-21-2019, 11:00 AM   #6
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Idaho
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 2,360
My Vivitar 13mm series 1 and Rokinon 8mm fisheye use a petal design that's threaded on the inside so a lens cap can be applied (the caps have spring loaded grippers that engage the inside thread of the hood), so it's certainly possible to come up with that DIY arrangement (particularly if you have 3D printing access).

I've never had vignetting issues with those petal hoods, except when I left the lens cap on
12-21-2019, 12:39 PM   #7
dms
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: New York, NY
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 2,192
You could make a rectangular (3:2) black cardboard cutout in a circular disk, and tape it inside the hood (as I recall a UK book on mountain photography, circa early 1940's, suggested this). Make the rectangle too small and then gradually enlarge till it no longer intrudes into the image. I have been tempted to try this but have not so far.

12-21-2019, 12:53 PM   #8
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Goldsboro North Carolina
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 2,860
For my Sigma 17-70mm lens I have a round, rubber lens hood that collapses in three stages. When I'm zoomed around 17mm I fully collapse it. When zoomed around 40mm I snap it to its middle stage. When zoomed to 70mm it's fully extended. It seems to work well at all stages; I just check for vignetting through the viewfinder. For a 18-50mm lens you could get a two stage model. Rubber won't offer the same physical protection as metal, but you can control the amount of shading it provides to the front element of the lens.
12-21-2019, 01:26 PM - 1 Like   #9
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
RobA_Oz's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Tasmania, Australia
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 8,182
Rectangular lens hoods were made for a number of lenses in the film era, some metal, some plastic. Obviously, they (like petal hoods) were unsatisfactory for lenses with rotating front elements, but petal hoods can offer greater protection from incident light than rectangular ones. The penalty is, of course, that they’re bulkier, but reversing the hood for storage (or signalling your novice status) by using a common bayonet overcomes that issue, something that no-one got around to doing with a rectangular hood.

Rectangular hoods look visually interesting on some lens-camera combinations, but aesthetics are easily trumped by convenience.
12-21-2019, 03:30 PM   #10
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
ivanvernon's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Medina, OH
Photos: Albums
Posts: 7,224
QuoteOriginally posted by RobA_Oz Quote
Rectangular lens hoods were made for a number of lenses in the film era, some metal, some plastic. Obviously, they (like petal hoods) were unsatisfactory for lenses with rotating front elements, but petal hoods can offer greater protection from incident light than rectangular ones. The penalty is, of course, that they’re bulkier, but reversing the hood for storage (or signalling your novice status) by using a common bayonet overcomes that issue, something that no-one got around to doing with a rectangular hood.

Rectangular hoods look visually interesting on some lens-camera combinations, but aesthetics are easily trumped by convenience.
I got a number of rectangular hoods for my Pentax 67 lens collection, and agree they look good on the lenses with the 645Z, not so fond of the huge round rubber ones, however.
01-01-2020, 09:12 PM   #11
Pentaxian




Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,306
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by Qman Quote
I wonder how effective that 18-50 RE hood is? It looks too short to provide much shading or protection, but I guess it's better than not having one.
Hoods for zoom are compromises can only take care of the short end, for longer lens like 300mm the hood can be as long as the lens itself, such as my newly acquired 300mm/f5.6 mirror which is about the size of a 50mm/f1.2, a matching hood will be longer than the lens itself !
01-02-2020, 12:47 AM   #12
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
i_trax's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Perth Western Australia
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 2,621
I purchased SMC Pentax-DA L 18-50mm F4-5.6 DC WR RE from Japan.
It came with Hood PH-RBJ58 and O-LW67A which fits nicely over the hood + black soft pouch usually supplied with DA Limiteds.
I actually like this lens and hood/ lens cap design, it works well with K-s1.

Read more at: SMC Pentax-DA L 18-50mm F4-5.6 DC WR RE Reviews - DA L Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
08-05-2022, 03:53 AM   #13
Senior Member




Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Mainz
Photos: Albums
Posts: 253
QuoteOriginally posted by i_trax Quote
I purchased SMC Pentax-DA L 18-50mm F4-5.6 DC WR RE from Japan.
It came with Hood PH-RBJ58 and O-LW67A which fits nicely over the hood + black soft pouch usually supplied with DA Limiteds.
I actually like this lens and hood/ lens cap design, it works well with K-s1.

Read more at: SMC Pentax-DA L 18-50mm F4-5.6 DC WR RE Reviews - DA L Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
According to one of the entries in the lens database, it is possible to mount a (slim) filter under the hood of the 18-50. Any idea how that would work? It's not an inner screw like the DA21 right? How would the hood stay aligned?
08-05-2022, 02:53 PM   #14
Veteran Member




Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 788
QuoteOriginally posted by Madaboutpix Quote
(Incidentally, I don't recall reading many user complaints about the DA21 hood.)
you mean like "I can't use a filter with the hood on" since the hood bayonets on, so I can't fit a filter between the lens and the hood?
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
hood, lens, lens hood, lenses, photography, wonder
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Question on lens hood for DFA 100 WR jddwoods Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 6 09-22-2015 06:06 AM
Lens Hood Question thegadge Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 4 01-10-2014 05:28 PM
18-135 lens hood question. rojvol Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 51 11-12-2013 06:24 AM
Lens Hood Question jcamero Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 3 10-29-2012 01:24 AM
For Sale - Sold: Pentax 18-55mm lens hood with box (no lens, just hood and box) drabina Sold Items 3 09-13-2008 06:21 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:28 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top